Parachute for aeroplanes



Dec. 8, 1931. c. KESSES PARACHUTE FOR AEROPLANES Filed July 8, 1950 1N VENTOR Patented Dec. 8, 1931 CHARLES KES SES, F YORK, N. Y.

PARACHUTE FOR AEROPLANES Application filed July 8, 1930. Serial No. 466,432.

This application is related to my Patent No. 1,762,396, parachutes for aeroplanes and the objects of this application are the same as object 8 in said patent, which provides means to release. and to force parachutes in one moment in the air and means to lift the rims of the parachutes at the same time to inflate the parachutes at once.

The objects in this application are First, to save lives from unexpected accidents and tailspins in the air, or by landing an aeroplane on unsuitable ground.

Second, this device does not alone save the lives of the pilot and the passengers, it also saves the plane and the people and the property below.

Third, that millions are spent yearly on good brakes for rails and autos, also on lifeboats for steamers. Therefore'it .is no more than right to provide safety for the flying public, then anyone would gladly give'a kingdom away when he or one dear to him is in danger at a high altitude.

Fourth, that the extra Weight of the device can be easily overcome with a little stronger motor orthe enlargement of the wings.

Fifth, that parachutes for jumping are very good for experts or for'people who know how to use them, by umping at intervals, but Where it comes that a plane is in danger and goes down to its destruction in less than no time and carrying'a number of frightened children, women and men, that is a differ ent question. w

Sixth, that the parachutes for planes must open at once to be effective. It is not suliicient that the parachutes open when the plane is half way down, by that time the 40 strain of the weight of the plane will be too great. Therefore I constructed. a device as plain as possible which by the pull of a cord releases and forces a number of parachutes in one moment in the air, lifts the rims of said chutes at the same time and opens a sliding-door of a wind tunnel which leads'the wind pressure from below the 'Wingsdirect in the center of the inner side of said parachutes to inflate said chutes at once'to carry an aeroplane safely to the ground.

Fig. III is a of said box.

The form of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. I is a perspective view of an aeroplane shown from below, which is being carried by three parachutes.

Fig. II is a front view of a part of the wing with its covering taken away, showing a round box having an inside compartment which is arranged for a wind tunnel. The outer compartment is provided to hold the parachute and showing four locking members which are provided to lock a cover to said box.

perspective view of one-half Fig. IV is a view of the wing shown from above with its covering taken away, showing locking members to lock said box, a slide door to close the wind tunnel and a controlling lever to move said four members to open said box and to open said slide door by the pulling of said controlling lever.

Fig. V is a side view of the means to secure a light, flexible but durable cover of the box to the upper and center part of the parachute.

Fig. VI is a side view of a form of the attachable means to connect the box cover to the rim of the parachute.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views A member 1 constitutes the frame work of the aeroplane, its wings 2 being secured in a suitable manner to said member. An engine 3 for driving a propeller 4 is secured in said member. Parachutes 7 7 and 7 are arranged in open boxes 6B which are secured one each near the ends and into the wings ap d one in the center. Said boxes are arranged in two compartments A and B as being shown in Fig. III. The outside compartment is provided for holding the parachute 7 which is being loosely stuffed from all sides in said compartment, the center one is a I wind tunnel for passing the air pressure from below the wings direct in the inner side of the center part of the parachute. The cords of the parachute are secured in the wind tunnel 6A to the wind structure 2B. A cover 8 of light, flexible but durable maform of same being springs arranged terial is secured to the upper part of the parachute and is arranged to cover said chute in said box. A form to secure said cover to said chute is being shown in Fig. V. A number of small openings are arranged in a circle in said cover and corresponding openings in the upper part of the parachute. Suitable bindings must be provided around the edges of said openings, soft rubber washers 912 on either side of said openings and bolts 90 which are supported on either side by aluminum washers must be used to press these parts securely together.

Steel plates 9 lined on all sides except its upper part with soft rubber are secured one on each corner of the cover 8. A. ring 10 is arranged for sliding in grooves 11 around the box 613. Looking members 12 are secured to said ring at such positions to be one each next to the positions of the plates 9 and its upper part must lay on the upper side of the plates 9. p w

A sliding door 14 which is movably arranged in grooves secured in the lower part of the wing 2, is provided to open or to close the wind tunnel 6A.

Attachable members 15A and B, a shown in Fi VI are provided to lift the vtour sides of the rims 16 of the parachute 7 in conjunction with, the cover 8, said members consisting of a pin 'member A carrying a round center member and of a member 13 which consists of two to hold said round member at given strength and to release said memher by a stronger pull. Either one of said members A or B is-secured to one plate 9 and the other one to the rim 16.

To force with indirect pressure of the springs 17 the plates 9, the cover 8 and the parachute 7 in the air, a lever 18 is with a pin in its center secured to the member 1. A spring 17 which is secured to said lever must extend out of a suitable opening in the wings 2. The other end of said lever is arranged in such a manner to press from below against the platesi). One end of a lever 19 is secured on the member 1 and carries the other end of the spring 1'? to provide means to compress said spring with said lever to give indirect pressure against the piateQ. Means must be pr v'ded'to hold with said lever said spring. in compressed condition.

A controlling lever 21 is provided to release the parachute '1' and to open the sliding door 14 on the wind tunnel 6A by the pulling of said lever.

'A second position of said lever is being shown in a dotted line position.

One arm of said lever is provided with a long opening 22 to hold a pin which secured to an extension 23. Said extension is secured on the ring 10 to provide means to move said ring through the movement of said controlling lever.

A second arm 24. on said lever is with a rod operatively connected to the sliding door 14 to open said door by the pulling of the controlling lever 21.

The co-operation of the several parts throughout a complete cycle or movements involved to release and to force a number of parachutes in an open condition in the air, the parachutes must be packed without crowding "from all sides in the compartment 613, if packed this way it will not crack the silk and will prolong the life of the parachute, connect the attachable means 15A and B to connect the rims 16 to the plates 9, close the boxes 6 with the cover 8 by placing the plates 9 next to the locking members 12, push the controlling lever to move the locking members over the plates 9 thereby closing with said second arm of said lever the sliding door 14, compress the springs 17 with the levers 19 to force indirect pressure under the plates 9 and the devices are ready whenever the aeroplane is in danger.

T he operating oi? the devices is: use the ring 28 to pull with the three cords 26 the levers '21 in position to open the sliding door 14; to

lead the wind pressure from underneath the wings 2 through the wind tunnels 6A direct in the upper inside partof the parachutes and to unlock the plates 9 and to force with source of power 17 said plates with the cover 8, the parachute 7 and the rims 16 in the air, thereby inflating the parachutes at once to carry the aeroplane safely to the ground.

WVhat I claim as my invention to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In parachutes for aeroplanes having in combination open boxes secured in the wings and plane member, a parachute secured in each one of said boxes, covers for each one of said boxes to cover said parachutes in said boxes, means to secure said covers to the upper center part of said parachutes, steel lates secured to the rims of said covers, attachable means provided to secure the rims of said parachute to said plates, said means consisting of a round member and of a spring member provided with a round opening to hold said round member at a given strength, said boxes are divided in a center and in an outside part, a wind tunnel secured in said center to pass the wind pressure from underneath the wings into the center of said parachute and the remaining parts of said chute packed in said outside part, a sliding door to open or to close said tunnel, locking means arranged to lock said plates to the plane, a source of power underneath said plates and controlling levers to control the operation of the devices, means carried on each one of said levers to open said sliding-door to inflate said parachutes and to open said locking means to force with said source of power said plates, said rims, said parachute and said cure said covers to the cover in the air to provide means to force said inflated parachute in an open condition in the air by the pulling of said controlling lever and to release said attachable means by the carrying of said plane with said parachute.

2. In parachutes for aeroplanes having in combination round open boxes secured in the wings and plane member, a parachute secured in each one of said boxes, covers for each one of said boxes to provide means to cover said parachutes in said boxes, means to seupper part of said parachutes, said boxes are divided in a center and an outside part, a wind tunnel secured in said center and reaching from the bottom of the wings up to said cover, means to close the upper opening of said tunnel with the center part of the parachute to pass the wind pressure from below the wings direct in said center part of the parachute and the remaining part of said chute packed into said outer part of said box, a doorwhich is slidably secured in the bottom of the wing is provided to open or to close the lower part of said tunnel, steel plates secured to the rims of said covers and locking members provided to lock said plates to said plane, a source of power between said plates and the plane, and a controlling lever for controlling the operation of the device, means carried on said lever to open said sliding door to pass said wind pressure in the upper part of the parachute and to open said locking means to force with said source of power said plates with said cover and parachute in the air by the pulling of said controlling lever.

3. In parachutes for aeroplanes having in combination round open boxes secured in the wings and plane member, a parachute secured in each one of said boxes, covers for each one of said boxes to cover said parachutes in said boxes, means provided to secure said covers to the upper parts of said parachutes, each one of said boxes is divided in two parts, of an open center part to pass the air from below the wing into the center part of the parachute and an outside part to hold the remaining part of said parachute, a slid ing door on said open center part to open or to close said part, aring slidably secured around the outside of each one of said boxes, steel plates secured on the covers of said boxes and locking members secured to said ring to provide means to lock with said members, said plates to the plane by the forward movement of said ring, a source of power between said plates and the plane and controlling levers for controlling the operation of the devices, means carried on each one of said levers to move said ring by the forward movement of said lever in such a position to lock said plates with said members and move said sliding door to close said center opening and to release said plates and to open said sliding door by the return movement of said controlling lever.

4. In parachutes for aeroplanes having in combination round open boxes secured in the wings and plane member, a parachute secured in each one of said boxes, covers for each one of said boxes arranged to cover said parachute in said boxes, means to secure said covers to the upper parts of said parachute, wind tunnels secured in the center of each one of said boxes to pass the Wind from below the wings into the inside center part of said parachutes, sliding doors to open or to close the bottoms of said wind tunnels, a ring slidably secured around each one of said boxes, steel plates secured to the rims of said covers and locking members secured to said ring to lock or to unlock said plates by the moving of said ring, a source of power between said plates and the plane and controlling levers provided to control the operation of devices, each one of said levers having two arms, one of said arms carries means to open said sliding door and the second arm of said lever carries means to move said ring in such a position to unlock said plates by the pulling of said controlling lever.

CHARLES KESSES. 

